NCAA Basketball: Top 25 breakout junior players for 2020-21 season
8. Prentiss Hubb – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2019-20 stats: 12.1 ppg and 5.1 apg
Star double-double machine forward John Mooney and three-year starting guard TJ Gibbs have both graduated, leaving a ton of production that needs to be claimed. While there is a couple of juniors (Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski) set to have bigger roles, the likely star of the roster will be Hubb, a 6’3 point guard that has continued to grow each season.
Already a proven great facilitator, Hubb showed last season he can be a great individual scorer, having eight games of at least 20 points. As someone who can shoot the three-ball proficiently as well, look for the Irish junior to lead the team in both points and assists next year.
7. Duane Washington Jr. – Ohio State Buckeyes
2019-20 stats: 11.5 ppg and 2.8 rpg
Despite splitting time between starting and coming off the bench, the 6’3 still managed to end up second on the team in scoring. Washington Jr. takes half of his shots from three-point range, making nearly 40% of them. He had a number of games of at least 15 points, showing much more consistency after DJ Carton left the team midseason.
With him and Luther Muhammad gone, the backcourt for the Buckeyes will now rely on both Washington Jr. and CJ Walker. This is a new-look team that’ll rely on transfers and veteran guards, with this player, in particular, having a great chance to lead the way on offense.